Chapter 577 – Fierce Fire

“Luck has turned bad.”

“Ming Cult Leader, Western Heaven Dark King. What are you suddenly talking about?”

“It was a game I had accepted with a rather light heart… but it’s no longer a game. Is the Southern Emperor still blocked by the Northern Blade? This isn’t the time to show mercy just because they’re of the same clan. We’ll have to hurry now.”

“Southern Emperor… Come to think of it, I should also ask the northern strongest. Ming Cult Leader, you spoke well.”

“Shut up and spew out more true energy with this magic formation. Now it’s one of two things. Either I overturn the Gate of the north, or King Yelu overturns the entire northern territory.”

“So what are you talking about? I have no interest in other matters. Quickly find my Great Warrior.”

“They’re all madmen. I don’t know anymore.”

* * *

A mountain peak covered with eternal snow.

Moisture-laden sunlight flowed beneath Northern King Yelu’s silver mask. The light had become even more transparent due to the pure white snow covering the surroundings.

He was crying. Weeping.

Soundlessly.

It was the first time in his brief life since he had mastered the Jeong Family Dynamic Technique in his childhood. Every movement that occurred minutely around his eye area was unfamiliar to him.

But the mask symbolizing King Yelu’s identity did not melt from moisture. An object worn to avoid hindering the Divine Sword Group’s assembly in the slightest. Naturally, it was as solid as a fortress wall.

So at this moment, no one knew what expression Jeong Yeon-shin was making.

Even he himself didn’t know.

Crack, crackle—

Colorless lightning continuously sparked from the silver handle of the divine sword Remaining Thunder. It was because part of the energy of sword riding had been used through the mysteries of Ultimate Thunder.

The long body of the divine sword had been infused in succession with the explosive power of sword riding flight and environmental steel.

Beneath that lightning was the Divine Thief lying with her body overlapping the pure white snow.

Remaining Thunder stood upright, having pierced through her back and the ground together, silently seeing off the strong winds that struck and split against its long blade.

Radiant Taiji—the situation where Enter the Dao Transcend Together had hit its mark.

Perhaps because it was too sudden.

Or it might have been because Jeong Yeon-shin’s temperament had changed drastically like a variable, or because the peak of Ice Breathing Mountain was closest to Remaining Thunder.

The Divine Thief had properly allowed a single sword strike in a way that made all their previous exchanges of checks meaningless. Just as Divine Beggar Zhu Guang had one day encountered the Southern Emperor like a lie.

Life is a series of variables.

The same was true for Remaining Thunder, which had knocked down the Divine Thief and embedded itself in the mountaintop.

Situation after situation close to variables, then more variables, repeated to achieve success with a single strike. Regardless of Jeong Yeon-shin’s will.

The sword power of Enter The Dao Transcend Together did not flow down to the stone mountain beneath her body at all. The Divine Thief had to endure all the impact completely.

Nevertheless, the sight of her breathing shallowly if at all meant two things.

The ultimate Heaven Silk Steel Armor that had surrounded even the acupoints throughout her body and the organs inside her body. The extreme vitality characteristic of peerless masters.

Meanwhile.

Rustle—

The waves of sunlight she had worn like an outer garment were gently peeled away. Enter The Dao Transcend Together had destroyed the Heaven Silk Steel Armor.

Unlike her previous words and actions, authoritative upturned eyes were revealed. Features as distinct and mysterious as Jeong Yeon-shin’s stood out.

Truly the ultimate in beauty. The sunlight flowing from her nose bridge was beautiful even without Heaven Silk Steel Armor, and the contours of her skin including her lips and chin were dreamlike enough to draw in one’s soul.

But Jeong Yeon-shin was not looking at her. He was only silently looking down.

That brief moment felt like eons.

“……”

But the silence did not last long.

The Divine Thief suddenly coughed quietly. It was a sneeze mixed with blood.

To her, to Jeong Yeon-shin, and also to Divine Beggar Zhu Guang who wasn’t here, the jianghu martial world was still futile. It was a world of the deluded.

But the Divine Thief actually smiled plainly. Along with her intermittent breathing.

“Now we’re finally equal.”

Words referring to Jeong Yeon-shin’s right arm that had been half torn by Literary Star earlier.

The Divine Thief with her face revealed was different again.

Rather than the divinely possessed world’s greatest thief, she exuded a temperament infinitely close to a martial artist. Rather than the Dream Demon Body that bewitched people, she seemed like a Yao tribesman.

Simultaneously, a dark shadow fell over the Divine Thief. Jeong Yeon-shin had suddenly positioned himself beside her head.

“……”

While the recoil of Enter The Dao Transcend Together was strongly affecting his body as if to tear it apart.

He silently rolled his foot toward the Divine Thief’s head.

Though his focus was blurred due to his reddened eyes, he still had more than enough explosive leg power to crush what needed to be destroyed immediately. His leg, still flowing with explosive force, sharply tore through the air.

It was then that the Divine Thief’s mental command rang out faintly.

Transcendent Martial Art.

[Yearning Dream Reincarnation.]

Suddenly the winter air of the north surged violently as if meeting summer sunlight.

Simultaneously, the Divine Thief’s body traveled back up Remaining Thunder as if time had rewound, and Jeong Yeon-shin’s leather shoe shattered the snow where her head had been.

The Divine Thief’s mental command rang luminously.

[There is a time that no lightness skill can reach.]

She too, like Jeong Yeon-shin, had been preparing a life-saving ultimate technique. With counterattack return that revealed nothing.

Crack!

It was the sound of the Divine Thief being pulled out from the sword handle along with her body. Of course, the penetrating wound had become even wider. It was clearly a fatal injury to anyone’s eyes.

Nevertheless, her appearance of only smiling while faintly furrowing her brow in a dazed manner.

Her skin floating with void-treading steps was healing like a dream. It was only an instant until she returned to her appearance from several breaths before.

What remained were only the clothing edges torn by sword strikes revealing her pure white abdominal muscles and bright red bloodstains.

She had manifested the physical body from before being pierced by Remaining Thunder.

How complex must the pathways and mental commands through which her power operated in that process have been? Her study of internal energy, innate true energy, and spirituality was at a level that could be counted among the finest under heaven.

Life-saving ultimate technique. Lightness skill that ran through the past.

Thus the transcendent battles of peerless masters always presupposed divinely inspired numerical warfare.

The Divine Thief moved her lips slightly.

“This demon realm is already a corrupted land, but your heart hasn’t rusted enough yet. Then your body might rot and decay first.”

She looked down at Jeong Yeon-shin floating in the void. Her gaze traced the sunlight beading on his chin.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly raised his gaze.

His mouth slowly opened.

[Shut up.]

“…!”

His vocal cords overlapped with the mental command from his upper energy center.

His essence, energy, and spirit remained highly elevated from when they had activated Radiant Taiji. Something still hadn’t ended.

The Divine Thief’s gaze, who had opened her eyes wide, suddenly turned downward. In her eyes as she greatly craned her neck, a scene immediately came into view.

Below the snow-white mountain slopes.

A huge, bluish taiji existed, large enough to encompass the battlefield of Northern King Army’s mounted masters.

Jeong Yeon-shin was like a sword positioned high above it. Literally a high sword. Infinitely free within the rotating pattern of the taiji.

[Heaven Silk Steel Armor, Transcendent Martial Art, innate vitality… you people are too tenacious. There was someone who wasn’t like that.]

While his voice carried the sound of weeping, naturally the echo from his upper energy center had no moisture in it.

Rustle.

The Divine Thief immediately twisted her waist.

She no longer spoke to Jeong Yeon-shin.

You must have no strength left now. Even if you have a little power remaining, do you intend to end your fight just here… All the words she could have uttered in this place only swirled and disappeared within her mouth.

Because there was no time for that.

Whoosh!

Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand pierced through her abdomen.

While sunlight distorted on the hand that emerged through the blood, a groan flowed from the Divine Thief’s mouth for the first time.

“Ah…!”

The fist technique of unknown origin made a rumbling thunder sound belatedly once again. Jeong Yeon-shin’s forearm bent like a hook as it was and tightly gripped the Divine Thief.

Simultaneously, he began sprinting downward.

Toward the battlefield where not only the two military forces under the Divine Sword Group but also all sorts of masters including Upright Star Army and Shame Extreme Army were entangled.

Downward, further downward.

Kwaaaaaaa—!

Pure white ripples exploded from his heels and spread left and right. The finely split snow particles scattered the sunlight in the propulsive energy waves of lightness skill.

* * *

Below Ice Breathing Mountain, high enough to overlap with faint clouds.

Shame Extreme Son-in-law tilted his head slightly on a low hill.

Perhaps because he was born with Dream Demon Body? The appearance of the peerless handsome youth created a seductive temperament even with trivial gestures.

“What do you think that is, Your Majesty?”

“Circle of blue flame. It’s the same as what King Yelu deployed against the Southern Emperor’s original spirit.”

“So why did the southern martial people become alert as soon as that was deployed? If Upright Star Army had pressed just a little more, they would have been easily annihilated.”

“Are you asking me to ponder your doubts for you?”

Shame Extreme King’s question as she replied without even looking back at Shame Extreme Son-in-law behind her. She stood transparently with a body where only silk threads floated.

“No. I apologize for my reckless words. I should naturally figure it out myself.”

It was an apology as smooth as flowing water. Shame Extreme Son-in-law turned his gaze again.

The scene immediately reaching his obsidian-like beautiful eyes.

Rumble rumble rumble!

Yellowish-brown dust clouds continuously rippled with the sound of horse hooves. It was the sight of hundreds of giant human-horse pairs surrounding the enemy and swirling.

Within it, faint pure white air currents occasionally burst out like fireworks. They were the Radiant Art Bond energy waves caused by the Radiant Sword Squad and Resonance Spirit under the Divine Sword Group.

Crack! Crackle!

Shame Extreme Son-in-law spoke respectfully while facing the vibrations of powerful striking force.

“I can faintly see those surrounded inside. They’re southern jianghu people. For some reason their morale has revived again, and they’re each single-handedly pushing back His Majesty Upright Star King’s forces. Honestly, it’s hard to believe even while watching… I think either I should step forward or Your Majesty should intervene. I wonder what the other honorable Northern Kings might think…”

Words and actions as if addressing masters who weren’t here.

Regardless of the heavy energy waves that had arisen front and back, the handsome youth with Dream Demon Body was very calm.

Cries filled with quiet astonishment burst from behind him. From the side of southern martial people blocked by Shame Extreme Army mounted on equally large warhorses.

In other words, Shame Extreme King and Shame Extreme Son-in-law were at the very center of the battlefield beneath Ice Breathing Mountain.

“It’s Bright Wind Spirit! The legendary…”

“A sound transmission space created by the Fighting God? Did it really exist!”

“Northern Kings, those monsters might gather…”

Famous masters who had been drawing out their divine martial secrets—Five Tigers Gate-Breaking Dao, Wind-Meeting Infinite Fan Technique, Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique, One Hundred Eighty Hands Yan Family Divine Fist—hesitated.

They were masters of prestigious great sects. Naturally, they could fight against martial military forces.

But Northern Kings were different.

The space where Bright Wind Spirit, which had only been rumored, was deployed. The feeling of setting foot in a place where natural disasters could come rushing at any time was chilling even to renowned jianghu people.

“…We also need an alliance leader. But since there’s no one available right now, this old man must become the focal point.”

An old swordsman in blue silk clothing muttered.

Azure Sword Lord Namgung Mu-hak.

A martial family noble who had ruled South Zhili, a person who had wandered seeking great achievements after his main family was trampled by mounted bandits.

Now the only successor of the Emperor Sword Technique under heaven. Naturally, all his words and actions had to carry weight.

Of course, Namgung Mu-hak’s true purpose was to maintain the position of ‘Martial Alliance Leader’ even after surviving in this land. No one was unaware of his intentions.

Zhuge family head acting, Tranquil Depth Gaze Zhuge Qing-ya, reluctantly nodded.

“There’s no other way. With Elder Namgung’s experience, he could at least deploy the sword formations of other sects and families in appropriate places…”

Then Shame Extreme Son-in-law gently smiled and interrupted. Without even looking back at the southern martial people.

“Shame Extreme Army must not rashly kill them. They’re from the most prosperous land. Their dreams will also be rich, so if I dwell in their upper energy centers, I’ll achieve great accomplishments.”

His gaze still only faced forward.

Rustle—

His slender upper body slowly swayed back and forth. Following that movement, afterimages like moth wingbeats faintly continued.

It was the precursor to activating lightness skill.

He completely entrusted the southern martial people behind him to Shame Extreme Army. He appeared to be preparing to assist Upright Star Army, which was gradually being pushed back before his eyes.

Then.

[Get out of the way.]

Suddenly the ground in front of Shame Extreme Son-in-law caved in, then collapsed in a hemisphere shape with a roar. Along with a rumbling voice.

Someone had landed from the incredibly high sky.

Hwaaaaaaaaak! The aftermath wind blew fiercely.

There was a human shadow slowly rising from the sunken ground.

Shame Extreme Son-in-law, who had somehow unfastened his hands from behind his back, looked down blankly, then made eye contact with the figure.

“…Ah.”

A strange exclamation flowed from Shame Extreme Son-in-law’s mouth. His eyes curving gently was simultaneous.

“Your Majesty King Yelu. We meet again like this.”

[Who are you?]

“Hmm…?”

Shame Extreme Son-in-law’s eye-smile disappeared smoothly like white porcelain. He said to Northern King Yelu standing blankly in the dust.

“I am the commander of Shame Extreme Army. Here is Your Majesty Shame Extreme King…”

[I’m tired of chattering now. Withdraw the mounted troops.]

Shame Extreme King nearby didn’t react to the absurd words. It was Shame Extreme Son-in-law who continued the response.

“This is regrettable, but before paying respects to Your Majesty, I’ve become curious about something. By what qualification exactly are you criticizing our military force deployment?”

A gentle, pleasant tone. But within it was embedded some kind of interrogation.

[Didn’t Yelu Army and Shame Extreme Army agree to mutual non-aggression?]

King Yelu babbled words unrelated to the question from within the pit he had created. Naturally, Shame Extreme Son-in-law’s answer was predetermined.

“We’re confronting foreign powers. Is there some other problem…?”

Suddenly a chilling silence descended.

The north wind that had been blowing with faint snowfall also thickened at that time. The pure white ground rustled beneath many people’s feet.

“Please choose your words carefully. Our Shame Extreme King has opened Bright Wind Spirit. The sounds that occur here will echo throughout all the demon realm. This means all Northern Kings of Bright Wind Spirit are listening.”

Shame Extreme Son-in-law spread both arms exaggeratedly, then raised his eyebrows.

“Hmm…? What are you standing on right now? It looks like a corpse, whose body is…”

Saaaa—

The dust clouds that had been rippling around King Yelu were gradually dispersing transparently.

The water droplets pooling beneath the silver mask and dripping down bit by bit, and the lips that slowly began to move, were clearly visible.

Shame Extreme Son-in-law immediately reacted.

“Listen! The most suspicious Northern King in this demon realm makes his explanation!”

A voice filled with laughter descended into the pit.

Wheeeeeeeee!

As if timed, someone’s crude whistle echoed from far away.

Sound technique that first drew the enemies’ attention. It was also a melody known to have been learned from Divine Sword Group Leader Yong Hye-myeong by ‘Divine Sword Sharp Willow Yeon So-ha’ of the Divine Sword Group’s Divine Sword Squad.

Hiss—

King Yelu’s tears that burned and disappeared as soon as they flowed down his skin. Soon his silver mask cracked with moisture and crumbled.

[I am.]

He continued speaking slowly.

[The Divine Sword Group Leader.]

It was late winter.

A purple long robe that had descended from the sky, covered with sunset glow like paint, wrapped around his body, and a pure white divine sword was planted like a flag outside the pit with a thud.